I don't use much Vista product but they do have some very nice fixtures and specialty items that come in handy now and then. Their copper line is nice and they have one of the best louvered step/brick lights in the biz.

Does anyone out there have any first hand experience with Vista's LED offerings? They have quite a vast array of product into which they are mounting Luxeon LEDs and drivers.

How does it look?

How does it perform?

NightScenes

03-30-2008, 12:18 AM

I have yet to use any of their LEDs but I do use a boat load of 5270 well lights.

The Lighting Geek

03-30-2008, 02:58 AM

I installed a hanging LED light for a statue and it looked good. The color is still blue-ish and had 3 LEDs. 2 of the LEDs quit working about 6 months after install. Other than that I have not used many Vista products. Their regular fixtures are used by landscapers in my area. A side note: As far as the Sacramento market goes, Nightscaping, Kichler, and Focus have all but disappeared as far as market share. Hadco is now regrouping here, but Unique and Vista and some Cast are what I see most.

INTEGRA Bespoke Lighting

03-30-2008, 10:01 AM

Thanks Tommy... your comment on the colour output of the LED fixture was most telling.

Did Vista warranty replace the fixture or ship you out a new LED driver to fit into the fixture body?

With so many different lines to choose from I find it amazing that some of the smaller lighting manufacturers can make a go of it. I still use a broad mix of products here and don't see that changing any time soon.

I am thinking that unless I see some major steps forward by some of the manufacturers soon, I might start up a post production re-fit shop here. One that fits updated technology into the best of the best in fixtures. Nothing too grand, just big enough to supply the demand for a few. The LED offerings I have seen from the big manufacturers are lackluster and don't suit my needs. The LED offerings from the European's is technically amazing, but the fixtures and styles are too avant garde and the colour is all too cool (Europe and Asia seem to have no problem with 4000k+ in their homes etc)

There now exists a plethora of great new LEDs from Luxeon (Rebel and K2-TFFC), GE (Vio), Nichia (inGan) and Seoul Semiconductor (z-power) Luxeon has also gone the distance and teamed up their LED engines with a full line of drivers and power conditioning modules. But there seems to be a big lag between the LED manu's and the Lighting fixture manu's. So why not just start matching up the best of the best? Could be a fun project for winter 08/09.

Have a great day.

Mike M

03-30-2008, 10:08 AM

I know this is completely unfair of me, but I don't like Vista. I associate the name with numerous bad lighting jobs. It is the add-on-guys fixture of choice where I am. They hang from trees with short, ineffective shields, they are always aluminum (around here), and often filled with water. Find a bad lighting design, and you'll usually find Vista lights (again, around here).

I am so glad I took the advice of Paul and Billy and everyone on this site, and went into lighting as a separate entity. I know the local landscapers do not have the time to be bothered with learning light design, building a comprehensive demo kit, or simply studying and learning the craft, skill, and depth of this art form.

I think lighting is now heading in the direction of: "We had this done by our landscaper when we first moved in. Now we want it to look like that home over there (or the one in my ad)." So I want to make certain I am not repeating the use of the previous guy's products of choice.

And I don't like the idea of using any manu's "brass" or "copper" fixture if they also mass produce crappy stuff that fails in the field. Does anyone here offer a lower priced crappy 3-year installation as an alternative to thier good work?

Case in point: I had many failures with GE appliances. Even the execution of their "great ideas" suck (ever cook on their smooth-top stoves?). I will not buy GE ever again, even if a salesman says, "But this is their good line."

NightScenes

03-30-2008, 10:11 AM

Nichia is the company that developed the Kichler LEDs. I do like the color temp of those fixtures and the concept of building the LED fixture with driver and built in photometrics is pretty cool.

The Lighting Geek

03-30-2008, 10:57 PM

Thanks Tommy... your comment on the colour output of the LED fixture was most telling.

Did Vista warranty replace the fixture or ship you out a new LED driver to fit into the fixture body?

The customer changed the yard and the light was no longer needed, however I'm sure Vista will stand behind it. I'm checking on it Monday, I'll let you know how it goes...

Lite4

03-31-2008, 01:07 AM

James,
I was talking to the Vista rep in my area and he was telling me about the NEW LED lineup they have coming out shortly. He says it is lightyears ahead of the older ones they have been selling. Check them out again soon on this one, or inquire for yourself. Vista is always great about warrantying their products. Tommy, you won't have any problem with replacement.
To address Mikes sentiments. I would agree that Vista primarily caters to the "Add on" market for landscapers. This is primarily how they market in my area, and the distributors push it this way too. However, to be fair to Vista; their copper line is really first class, albeit it is somewhat limited. Their bullet light is my number one choice when I am looking for a copper product. It is extremely well built, and they can customize the shroud and lensing right on site at the factory to whatever you need it to be. Their area / path lights in the copper are very solid too. I don't mess with their alluminum products, but if you are looking for a good stainless or copper line of basic fixtures that are very customizable, you should check them out.

David Gretzmier

04-01-2008, 11:20 PM

I'd like to add Cree to degree integra's list of folks that make LEDS these days. for 40 bucks shipped to my door, I have a new flashlight using thier LED's that is waterproof, runs off 4 3.7volt lithiums (14 volts, hmm...) and puts out a strong 300-400 lumens out the front. It is rated at 500 lumens but the lens eats some of that. I would compare it to a 50 watt 20 degree halogen running at about 14 volts. very white, but not so blue as some LED's.

these LED's are rated at 50,000 hours and I am going to test these outside as soon as I get a variable DC inverter to see if this flashlight can run 6-8 hours daily out side on a timer for a few weeks. perhaps with a constant lower dc voltage at a 200-250 lumen output, this thing could handle the heat issues I have heard floating around the internet regarding LED's and Outdoor lights.

with the new Q5 and R2 Bin LED's from Cree, this flashlight would put out even more lumens. and with a warmer tint, and maybe getting the same lumens while driving with less voltage, reducing the heat on these things may be enough to be ready for prime time.

flykelley

04-02-2008, 10:33 AM

Hi Guys
I am helping a friend build a runway in Northern Michigan. It is 1100 ft long and we need to install runway marking lights along both sides at about every 50-75 ft. I would like to use LEDS and they need to be bright and visible from the air. They also need to be able to withstand the northern Michigan winters. He will not use the runway in the winter but they get a ton of snow so they will be buried in snow for the better part of 4 months. They will be hardwired but the power source at the hanger is about 100 ft from the runway.

Thanks Mike

INTEGRA Bespoke Lighting

04-02-2008, 11:28 AM

My first thought on this is that there would be strict FAA regulations regarding the specification for any runway type of lighting. Check into it.

If this is a private runway and no FAA regulations apply ( I hardly doubt that would be the case no matter who owns it) then I would contact the IESNA and see if they have specifications for this application.

Personally, I would walk away... it sounds outside of the realm of experience of the average LV outdoor lighting guy. Don't bite off more then you can chew, or afford to loose.

Regards.

flykelley

04-02-2008, 11:59 AM

My first thought on this is that there would be strict FAA regulations regarding the specification for any runway type of lighting. Check into it.

If this is a private runway and no FAA regulations apply ( I hardly doubt that would be the case no matter who owns it) then I would contact the IESNA and see if they have specifications for this application.

Personally, I would walk away... it sounds outside of the realm of experience of the average LV outdoor lighting guy. Don't bite off more then you can chew, or afford to loose.

Regards.Hello
It is a private runway, so it doesn't have to meet FAA standards. My friend has built a experimental plane and it doesn't need a lot of runway for takeoffs and landing. The lights just need to be seen from the sky at night.

Regards Mike

INTEGRA Bespoke Lighting

04-02-2008, 12:11 PM

Sorry about that Mike, I guess I just assumed private jet calibre runway.

I have a client here who has this wild Scandinavian Jet that is the only jet that can land on a sod runway. (so he says)... at his place they just use smudge pots for the occasional once in a while that the plane will be landing at night.

good luck

YardPro

04-02-2008, 08:39 PM

i will defend vista.....

we use almost all vista. they have a good product and a great no hassle warranty.
We get great support from them. Other companies have more types, etc... but i have not had any issues with vista at all.

we thing they are a very good product.

i toured thier plant last october and they were discussing their lineup. they were not pushing it because they said this spring there would be a new technology available that they were going to use. they did not want to put a lot of money in developing their led's with the current technology. they wer waiting on whatever was coming out

klkanders

04-02-2008, 08:56 PM

New technology? hmmm I wonder what it could be?

Chris J

04-02-2008, 09:00 PM

When the Vista guys brought me out to try to sell me, it turned into a bash fest against other manufacturers. I was really impressed with the hospitality and the plant, but the mouthing that went on turned me off big time. It's no guess that I don't use Vista at the moment (except for the occasional item or two). I really hate to see people bash their competition. Makes me think they are scared of them for some reason, which makes me want to stay with the competition (as long as it's working well).

INTEGRA Bespoke Lighting

04-04-2008, 01:49 AM

I just got word from Rick Baird at Vista that the new LED products are near production now. Vista is going to be using the new Lumileds Luxeon K2-TFFC and Rebel warm white LEDs in their line and Rick said they are "on our assembly lines as we speak"

In my investigations, the Luxeon K2-TFFC and Rebel are two of the top performing LEDs on the market and have very high efficacy rates combined with the right colour to fit in with our industry norms. I look forward to seeing what they come up with.